Apparatus for automatically controlling the operation of air-pumps



I E. MILLS AND L. H. TE EL; j

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLlNG-THE or snmou or AIR PUMPS.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. I916.

1--,3s6,20 I e t J .1 .1

, ATTORNEY.

V E. F. MILLS ANDL. H. TEE L. A APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AIR PUMPS;

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. I9I6- 1,366,204. A Patqnted Jan. 18,1921

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFicE.

EDWARD-FRANK mLLs,-or LYNN, AND LAwnsncE HOWE-S TEEL, or SALEM, MASSA- onusnr'rs, ASSIGNORS TO A. sonzaanmvs son, me, on BnooxLYmJNEw YORK, A.

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS ron. AUTOMATICALLY. CONTROLLING THE ormm'rroiv' or AIR-pours. 7

To all whom it may concern:

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.-

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically controlling the operation of an air pump when the pressure in the discharge side of the system in which the pump is used, reaches a predetermined point.

The invention is especially adapted among other uses to be employed in garages and like places, in which a power-driven air pump is employed for supplying air pressure to the tires of automobiles.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient meansfor automatically stopping the action of the pump without stopping the prime mover therefor, when the pressure in the automobile tire or other air receptacle connected with the dis charge side of the pump, reaches a predetermined amount.

T 0 this end we employ between the pump and the prime mover a transmitting mechanism, which has a movable member, and

.provide means for moving said member so as to disconnect the pump from the prime mover, and make said means responslve to a predetermined pressure created by the pump. Provisionis made for locking said movable member in its operative position, which locking means is operated to release said movable member when the pressure reaches a predetermined amount.

Provlsion may also be made for retainmg the movable member in its inoperative position until positively restored to its operative position.

Provision may also be made for sounding an audible signal when the movable member of the power-transmitting mechanism is moved to render the prime mover ineffective upon the pump.

These and other features of this invention,

will be pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a frontelevation of one form of apparatus embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, a section on the line, 2-2, Fig.' 1, looking toward the right, with parts broken away. I

F1gs.3 and 4, diagrammatic views to illustrate the working of the apparatus, and

Fig. 5, an enlarged section of the pressure res onsive device to be referred to.

eferrii'ig to the drawing a represents an air pump of usual or known construction, and b a prime mover therefor, which is shown as an electric motor of known construction. The pump a; is operatively'connected with the motor b to be driven thereby by a transmitting mechanism, which is herein shown as consisting of a pinion 10 on the armature shaft 12 of the motor I), a gear '13 on the pump shaft 14 and an intermediate Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented J an, 18', 1921, A i Application filed January 4, 1316. Serial No. 70,295. 1 i

pinion 15, which is designed to be engaged nected bya link 19 with a lever 20, pivoted.

at 21 and having its free end cooperating with a lever 22, which may and preferably will be provided with notches 23, 24, see Figs. 3 and 4) for the reception of the end of the lever 20, for a purpose as will be described.

-The lever 22 is pivoted at 25 and has its" short arm 26 normally held by a spring 27 against a device which is responsive to a predetermined air pressure in the discharge side of the system in which the pump a is included, which discharge side is repre sented as a pipe 28. V

The pressure-responsive device herein shown consists of a piston 30 (see Fig. 5) located in a cylinder 31, which is in open communication atone end with the disthe piston, which latter is normally held to its seat by a coiled spring 33 having its lower end secured to a collar 34, fitted on the reduced end of the rod 36 of said piston, and having its upper end secured to a collar 37 loose on the piston rod and connected by pins 38 witha collar 40, which is slidable on the outside of a cylindrical casing or tube 41,

attached at its upper end to the cylinder 31 v and provided with longitudinally extended slots 42 through which the pins 38 are extended. The collar 40 is held by the con traction of the spring 33 against a collar 44 in threaded engagement with the casing 41. The spring 33 is normally contracted and holds the collar 40 against the-collar 44 and also holds the piston 30 to its seat.

The piston rod 36 is extended through the head 45 of the casing 41 and bears against the Short arm 26 of the lever 22'. By adbelow a predetermined amount.

justing the collar 44 on the casing 41, the

spring33 can be regulated to hold the piston but in a manner well understood, turns the elbow lever and moves the pinion 15 out of engagement with the pinion l0 and from the position indicated in Fig. 3 to that indicated in Fig. 4, thereby mechanically interrupting the transmission of power from the prime mover b to the pump a, and consequently stopping the pump.

When themovable member 15 of the transmitting mechanism has been moved mto ts mo erative position shown in Fi 4, 1s pre erred to lock or hold it in this position until it ismanually restored to its operative position, which may be accomphshed by providing the lever 22 with the notch 24 into which the lever 20 is designed to enter, as represented-in Fig. 4. The lever 22 may have attached to it a bell 52, which is desi ned to be struck by the lever 20 and thus give an audible signal that the predetermmed pressure has been reached.

. The apparatus among other uses, is espe- 'cially adapted to be employed in garagesfor pumping up tires of automobiles, in which case the operator adjusts the pressure device to respond to a given or predetermined pressure, as, for instance, eighty pounds, and then connects the tire to be inflated with the dlscharge pipe 28 of the pump, through a flexible tube or hose, not shown, in a manner well understood. When the tire has been properly connected with the pump, the operator turns the lever 20 until it engages the notch 23 in the lever 22, which action brings the pinion 15 into mesh with the pinion 10 and starts the pump in operation. If desired, the operator can leave the apparatus, and the pump will continue in operation until the air pressure in the tire reaches eighty pounds, whereupon the pressureresponsive device trips the locking lever 22 and permits the movable member 15 to be moved into its inoperative position shown in Fig. 4, and thereby mechanically disconnect the pump a from the motor I) and stop the pump without stopping the motor, which latter can continue to run if desired. When the pressure responsive device operates, as described, the bell 52 is struck and the operator is notified that the tire has been supplied with the desired air pressure.

Inv the present instance, we have illustratedone form of mechanism for transmitting power from the prime moverto the pump, but it is not desired to limit-the invention in this respect.

So also, we have shown one form of prime mover, which may be stationary or portable, but it is not desired to limit the invention m this respect.

Claim:

In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an air pump, a prime mover therefor, a transmitting mechanism between the said pump and prime mover provided with a movable member capable of rendering the prime mover ineffective upon the pump, a lever carrying said movable member, a latching lever, means for connecting said levers, a locking lev er cooperating with said latching lever, a piston coiiperatin with said locking lever, a cylinder in whlch said piston is located and communicating with the discharge side or the pump, a spring acting on said p1ston 1n opposition to the air pressure in said cylinder and responsive to said pressure when the latter reaches a predetermined amount to permit said piston to disengage said locking lever from said latching lever and ermit the lever carrying the movable mem er to be turned and move said movable member into its inoperative position.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

EDWARD FRANK MILLS. LAWRENCE HOWES TEEL. 

